Episode VII Tidbits: Cameras and Casting

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In the absence of real news about Star Wars Episode VII, the dribs and drabs will have to suffice. We've got a few tidbits for you today.

First, Los Angeles-based cameraman Andrew Bikichky has tweeted out a picture of the two primary 35mm film cameras that J.J. Abrams will be using on the set. The A-camera is named "Deathstar" (that's Bikichky's spelling -- we can't confirm if it's actually misspelled on the camera) and the B-camera is named Millennium Falcon.

JJ’s new #StarWars will be shot on FILM :) here’s one of their cameras, a custom blacked-out Panaflex XL @Panavision pic.twitter.com/RWNNAcEJ4V

— Andrew Bikichky (@AndrewBikichky) March 27, 2014

The A & B 35mm @Panavision cameras on JJ’s #StarWars have names as well, A is “Deathstar” and B is… pic.twitter.com/nAiuHfJeuo

— Andrew Bikichky (@AndrewBikichky) March 27, 2014

In the world of casting, actor Dominic Monaghan told an interviewer (via The Star Wars Underworld) that Abrams told him that Episode VII will star a group of "unknowns."

“We've talked a few times about it," Monaghan said, "and [Abrams] just said, 'look, we're putting together a cast of essentially unknowns, you know. We want to follow the kind of '77, [A] New Hope type cast...We don’t want to fall into that mistake of people going 'Oh, it's that guy from the thing!'"

In other words: Don't hold your breath for Zac Efron or Jennifer Lawrence.

Lastly, news broke this morning that Peter Mayhew will not be attending Comicpalooza in late May "due to filming." I wonder what movie could be consuming his time at the end of the first month of filming on Episode VII?

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